Stories of King Arthur's Knights, Told to the Children — John Shaqi
Stories of King Arthur's Knights, Told to the ChildrenMacgregor, Mary
General
Stories of King Arthur's Knights, Told to the Children
Macgregor, Mary
Arthur, King -- Juvenile literature; Arthurian romances -- Adaptations
And a feast was made for the wedding-day, and in great joy Geraint
and Enid were married.
Day by day Geraint loved his wife more dearly. And Enid was happy
in this strange new life, and she wondered at the merry lords and
ladies, and she loved the beautiful Queen, who was so kind to her.
And Geraint was glad that Enid was often with the Queen, till one
day he heard some people say that though the Queen was very
beautiful, she was not good. And Geraint heard this so often, that
he learned to believe it.
'I must take Enid away from the court,' he thought, 'for she
worships the Queen and may grow like her.'
So Geraint went to King Arthur, and asked to be allowed to go to
his own country. He told the King that robbers trampled down his
cornfields, and carried away his cattle. 'I wish to go and fight
these robbers,' he said. And King Arthur allowed him to go.
And Enid left the Queen and the lords and ladies gladly, to go with
Geraint.
But all the time Geraint could not help thinking, 'Enid is longing
for the knights and ladies she knew at the court.'
When Geraint reached his own country, he forgot all about the
robbers, who were destroying his land. He forgot to go to the hunt,
or the tournament, or to look after the poor people. And this was
all because he loved Enid so much. He thought, 'I will stay with
her all day. I will be so kind to her that she will forget the gay
lords and ladies, and be happy here, alone with me.'
But Enid grew sadder and paler every day. She did not wish Geraint
to wait on her and forget every one else. She wanted him to be a
true knight.
And the people began to scoff and jeer whenever Geraint's name was
spoken. 'The Prince is no knight,' they said. 'The robbers spoil
his land and carry off his cattle, but he neither cares nor
fights. He does nothing but wait on the fair Lady Enid.'
Enid knew what the people said, and she thought, 'I must tell
Geraint, and then surely he will be ashamed, and become a brave
knight once more.' But always her courage failed.
'I think I could buckle on his armour and ride with him to battle,'
thought Enid, 'but how can I tell him he is no worthy knight?'
And her tears fell fast, and Geraint coming in, saw her weeping,
and thought, 'She weeps for the gay lords and ladies of Arthur's
court.'
Then all at once he hated his idle life. 'It has only made Enid
despise me,' he thought. 'We will go together into the wilderness,
and I will show her I can still fight.' And half in anger and half
in sadness he called for his war-horse.
Then Geraint told Enid to put on her oldest dress and ride with him
into the wilderness. And because he was angry with himself for
thinking that Enid wept for the gay knights and ladies at Arthur's
court, he would not ride with her, but told her to go on in front,
and 'whatever you see or hear, do not speak to me,' he said
sternly.
Then Enid remembered the old faded silk gown. 'I will wear that,
for he loved me in it,' she thought.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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